JEDDAH, 18 June 2006 — A Pakistani family out for a relaxing Friday afternoon in the hills of scenic Taif, had their picnic ravaged by a pack of wild baboons, the Okaz daily reported yesterday. As the family settled down for a pastoral meal, the band of monkeys descended upon them like highland bandits. The father, wife and two children fled to their car. Once inside, and as they watched the creatures sift through their belongings and eat their food, the father realized that in his haste he had left the keys to the car at the picnic site. The family sat for a couple of hours before a man came by and managed to drive the baboons away so the father could retrieve the keys, and what was left of the family’s belongings. Taif, a highland retreat from Saudi Arabia’s legendary summer heat, is a popular vacation spot. Taif features scenic natural wonders, occupied by the occasional pack of rambunctious baboons.
